Dispensing device for micro-pulverized material



Dec. 25, 1962 J. c. MCMULLEN 3,070,263

DISPENSING DEVICE FOR MICRO-PULVERIZED MATERIAL Filed March 4, 1959 INVENTOR JACOB C. M: MULLEN ATTORNEY ion) United States Patent Ofifice 3,075,253 Patented Dec. 25, 1%62' 3,072,263 DISPENSING DEVICE F012 MICRO-PULVERIZED MATERIAL Jacob C. McMuilen, Baitimore, Md., assignor to W. R.

Grace dz Co., New York, N.Y., a corporation of Connecticut Filed'Mar. 4, 1959, Ser. No. 797,163

1 Claim. (Cl. 222-177) This invention relates to a device for dispensing pulverulent materials. In a specific aspect, it relates to a manually operated dispenser for distributing dust-like insecticides over a given surface and which is particularly adaptable for exterminating such pests as fleas, roaches, and the like.

It is the present practice to rid areas contaminated with insects by applying powdered insecticides to such areas either by pouring the insecticide directly from its container to the immediate area inhabited by insects or by spraying the insecticidal dust. Both methods have distinct disadvantages. In pouring the insectici e, there is a tendency to use an excessive amount as Well as a lack of uniform application. The spray technique is subject to the same criticisms but, in additiornit has the disadvantage of charging the air with the fine particles. Since such insecticides appear in finely divided form, the inhalation of the air-trapped dust particles can lead to human discomfort, such as silicosis.

It is, therefore, an object of this invention to overcome the aforementioned disadvantages. realized by providing a device for dispensing pulverulent materials which comprises a hollow chamber journaled on wheels for rotatable support and movement over a given surface, a plurality of blades housed Within the chamber and operatively associated with the wheels for rotation therewith, means for receiving powdered material into the chamber, and means for discharging the material therefrom. Such device permits regulation of the amount of material which is applied to a given area while confining the distribution thereof.

The advantages of this invention will become more apparent upon reference to the following description and the accompanying drawing in which like reference characters indicate like parts throughout the several figures.

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of the device with the front portion broken away to show the internal construction thereof.

FIG. 2 is a partial vertical view of the front portion taken at a line 22, FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a perspective fragmentary view of another embodiment of the device showing an enclosed arcuate front portion.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the device taken substantially at a line 44, FIG. 5 to show the front portion and a modified rear portion having threaded inlet means in threaded engagement with a container of powdered material.

FIG. 5 is a front elevational view of a modified form of dispenser.

Referring now to FIG. 1, a dispenser according to this invention comprises a hollow chamber shown generally at having a front portion 11 communicating with a rear portion 12 by way of hollow passage 13. Such passage is typical of any hollow enclosure bounded by the respective Walls from which the enclosure is fabricated. The front portion comprises opposed side walls 14 and 15 which are joined at right angles with the bottom and top walls 16 and 17 as shown in FIG. 3. The front side walls are provided with axial circular openings 18 and 19 which provide a bearing for a horizontal shaft 20 disposed in the front portion, the ends of said shaft This objective is projecting through the side wall openings. Fixedly mounted to the shaft ends are wheels 21 and 22 which are adapted to rotate coincidentally with the shaft and which support the device. The diameter of the side wall openings is slightly larger than the shaft diameter to permit free rotation of the wheels.

A plurality of spaced longitudinal blades 23, 24 and 25 radiate from the shaft. These blades may have a curved or flat surface and are forcibly rotated by the shaft. An elongated opening 26 is provided in the forward wall of the front portion intermediate the side walls to discharge the powdered material therefrom. Diametrically opposite the discharge opening and in the rear portion of the chamber there is provided inlet means 27 through which material is received into the chamber. This inlet may simply consist of a circular opening and is adapted to receive and frictionally hold the mouth of a container bearing powdered material.

In operation, material 28 gravitates from a supply source, such as a bottle 29 shown in FIG. 4, into the inlet means and flows through the chamber passage into the front portion Where it drops into the spaces between the radial blades 23, 24 and 25. The material is dispensed from the chamber by frictionally contacting the wheels with a given surface and manually urging the dispenser forward or rearward. This movementresults in simultaneous rotation of the Wheels, shaft and blades, causing the material to discharge from the chamber in a uniform,

confined layer upon the surface as the blades pass over the elongated port 26, as shown in FIG. 4. The amount of material which is deposited on a given surface can be controlled by the number of blades which are mounted on the shaft with a consequential increase or decrease in the space provided between the blades to receive and discharge material, and by the size of the port 26. Obviously,

if the spaces between the blades are small and the size of the discharge opening is diminished, then the quantity of material will not be as great as where the blade spaces and discharge outlet are larger.

Many powdered materials of micron and sub-micron size tend to agglomerate to a certain extent causing formation of small balls. This is objectionable since the material will not pour or flow smoothly. In the present invention, this objection can be overcome by providing a plurality of laterally arranged and spaced openings 30 to function as the discharge port as shown in FIG. 3. This causes breakage of the large particles as they are trapped between the tips of the radial blades and the solid wall spaced between the discharge openings. Moreover, the passage of large particles will be hindered by the size of the openings.

The radial blades are rigidly mounted on the shaft and extend laterally to a point immediately adjacent the side walls. This extension of the blades permits sweeping all material from this area of the chamber thereby preventing any build-up on the side walls. An arcuate contour 31 in FIG. 3 is given to the forward wall to permit p assage of the blade tips in immediate adjacency thereto and thus prevent material build-up on this wall.

A further embodiment of the invention, is shown in FIG. 5. The chamber comprises a vertical front portion communicating centrally with the rear portion shown as conduit 33. A suitable female thread 34 is formed on the inner wall of the conduit to register with a male thread of a suitable material supply source, such as the threaded neck 35 of bottle 29 shown in FIG. 4. A bottle fabricated from a suitable resilient material e.g., polyethylene, combines well with this type of dispenser to form a unitary device. Such plastic material permits expulsion of the powdered material which may block the passage from '2) the container to the dispenser by simple hand compression.

The present invention is particularly adaptable for dispensing insecticidal powders. The dispenser restricts application of the insecticide in a uniform layer to a confined area and at a controlled rate while eliminating the hazard of inhaling the insecticidal dusts. The latter objection is peculiar to spray-type devices.

I claim:

Dispensing device for applying micro-pulverized insecticidal powders comprising:

(1) a hollow body;

(2) a threaded passage at one end of said body for attaching an insecticidal powder supplying source thereto;

(3) a resilient container of insecticidal powder threadedly engaged to said passage whereby any agglomerative blockage which may occur in said passage can be expelled by manual compression of said container;

(4) a semi-cylindrical nose at the other end of said body;

(5) said nose having parallel end walls and an elongated discharge opening between said end walls;

(6) a rotatable shaft located on the longitudinal axis of said nose, the ends of which extend through each of the respective end walls;

(7) a plurality of radially spaced blades fixed to said shaft between said end walls, said blades extending laterally to a point immediately adjacent said end walls and extending radially for a distance providing immediate adjacency with the arcuate portion of said nose; and

(8) a rotatable circular Wheel fixedly attached to each end of said rotatable shaft having a radius just slightly larger than the radius of the semi-cylindrical portion of said nose, whereby rotation of said wheels on the surface to which powdered insecticide is to be applied simultaneously rotates said shaft and said blades and dispenses insecticidal powder from said nose in a confined space immediately adjacent said surface and in a uniform layer on said surface.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS r P n 

